1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a stand for a desktop telephone or similar equipment.
2. Description of the Related Art
A desktop telephone in accordance with the background art has a keypad and a display. The display conveys data to the user, such as caller ID and contact lists. It is important that the display be easily viewable to the user and that the keypad be at a convenient and accessible angle.
Often times, the keypad and telephone display are oriented at a fixed slight angle to the plane of the desktop (e.g. 10 degrees, 15 degrees or 20 degrees). The fixed angle orientation of the display and keypad is a good compromise. If the user places the telephone close to the user on the desktop, the fixed angle orientation (e.g. 15 degrees) is appropriate. However, if the user wishes to free up the immediate desktop workspace in front of the user and moves the telephone toward the rear of the desktop, the angle is no longer optimum.
Another problem resides with office lighting. Typical offices have fluorescent ceiling lighting which can create a glare on the display of the desktop telephone when the display is at a certain angle. Office windows, desk lamps and computer displays are other sources of light in the immediate vicinity of the desktop telephone which can also create a glare on the display of the telephone.
One step toward solving the problems of the background art is a desktop telephone with a tiltable display unit. The display unit allows the user a limited amount of adjustment (e.g. 20 degrees) from the fixed angled orientation of the desktop telephone. This provides some adjustment feature to assist in removing any glare on the display due to overhead lighting and provides some improvements in the convenience of viewing the display when the telephone is placed toward the rear of the workspace on the desktop.
However, the tiltable display unit fails to adjust the keypad to a convenient angle for the user. Also the tiltable display may not provide a large enough angle for the display, when the user places the telephone to the rear of the desktop.
Fixed angle telephone stands are known in the art, and are typically formed of plastic or wood. Such stands are generic to a wide range of telephones and are typically not connected to the telephone itself, which leads to an unstable condition. If the stand is attached to the telephone, it is by some generic attachment means (e.g. banding or double-sided adhesive) to accommodate several style telephones and is unsightly in the immediate workspace of the user.